Rivalry
by peachakia elf
Summary: A little healthy competition never hurt. But this? This was just way past ridiculous. It had always been steadily escalating, but an innocent comment sends it into heights never seen before. Or in short, Yuuri and Serena will never stop trying to top one another. /Alternate Universe/


"I heard Yuugo's been trying to work up the nerve to propose to Rin," Ruri says, tearing open another packet of sugar to pour it into her coffee. Yuuri who had been eyeing her coffee with disgust, most likely at how she had 'disgraced' the coffee with all the condiments she had put it (his words, not hers), flicks his gaze back to her at that.

"If by that you mean crying to us about it every chance he gets, and not having even brought the ring, sure," Yuuri remarks. "It's not like he's been singing the same tale for months, or anything."

"He's trying his best!" Ruuri defends, frowning at Yuuri. She leans back in her seat, sighing a bit. "I really wish he would, proposing hasn't even crossed Rin's mind, so it's not going to come from her side. _Besides_ , it's not like Rin would say no!"

"Go ahead, tell him that, it'd only be the fifty-seventh time someone's told him that," Yuuri says. "It's gotten boring recording all of his freak out sessions."

"Then _don't_?" Ruri offers up. "Why are you even filming that? That's mean."

Then again saying that to someone like Yuuri would only serve as encouragement, since Yuuri wasn't exactly the nicest person.

"So I can pull it out at his wedding and remind him how stupid he was," Yuuri says, in a sort of _duh_ tone.

"I forget how petty you are." Ruri shakes her head. Yuuri shrugs in response.

Ruri props her hand on her chin, and asks, just as Serena returns from the bathroom, and sits down, "So, when are you _two_ getting married? I wonder which one of you is going to end up proposing."

It's only an innocent comment, light teasing, really, but the sudden way that the two of them sort of _freeze_ , and turn to each other in perfect sync, looking at each other with flattest expressions she has ever seen, makes her feel like she's said something _very_ wrong.

Enough that she feels like she had say something else entirely different. She sort of wishes someone else was here too so she could confirm, that yes, she really hadn't say anything else strange. But, most of her friends weren't even in Maiami, or at least the short list of those that wouldn't be scared off by Yuuri, weren't. Yuugo wouldn't be, but putting herself through their bickering, _willingly_? Not in a thousand years. Yuuto, the traitor, was off with catching up with her brother (the way they hung out made her wonder if Yuuto had gotten engaged to the wrong Kurosaki, really).

Yuuri is the one to break the silence, as he says in a way that's meant to be light, but isn't at all: "I don't know, we'll just have to wait and see, won't we?"

"We'll see," Serena agrees.

The intense look Serena pins Yuuri with, which might as well as be called a glare, coupled with the unpleasant smile he meets her look with, is more than enough to make Ruri practically _see_ the sparks flying in the air.

Ruri is worried.

A lot.

* * *

It's exactly one day later that the fire that Ruri had inadvertently ignited comes to a blaze. For the two out right now, though, that wasn't exactly on their mind.

"So, which one of you is searching for a ring today?" The lady attendant in the store asks, there's a superficial smile painted on her face, and it's more than noticeable that its off.

"Is it you, sir?" she asks, looking at Yuuri.

"Nah, it's me," Yuugo interjects. Yuuri's a bit surprised that he could even say that without biting his tongue, from how much he had been freaking out earlier.

The lady lets out a long sigh, as though a weight had been lifted off her shoulders, and muttered: "Oh, thank god."

Even Yuugo stares at her at that.

"Look, even random strangers know you're an absolute menace!" Yuugo jibes, with a laugh. Yuuri stomps on his foot with a smile that grows wider when Yuugo yelps loudly.

The lady pales at realizing that she had said that out loud, then flails her hand around in a flurry. "No, no– that's not it, err, sir, what kind of ring are you searching for?"

The attempt to change the topic couldn't be more obvious, but Yuuri also couldn't care less, so.

"Err, something sort of simple? But, not like _super_ simple, just not like way over the top, I want it to be pretty but not like..delicate? Is that the word? Anyways–"

"Astute as always," Yuuri interrupts.

"Shut up! Ugh, I can't believe that I'm supposed to be relying on you to help me find a ring."

"You say that like _you_ weren't the one who called me."

"Look, I don't even know how Serena _somehow_ managed to convince me it was better to take you along than go alone," Yuugo grumbles.

"Considering that it's you? Quite easily, I'm sure," Yuuri jeers.

Yuugo calls him an asshole, but that's as far as the bickering goes as the attendant says, a bit warily: "There's a collection up in the front that you might like."

She gestures over to it, as she steps forward, and the two follow after her, Yuugo more excitedly, and Yuuri bored out of his mind already.

It's a bit later, the attendant pointing out rings to Yuugo, Yuugo shaking his head at every ring that he looks at, stating that it was nice but _just_ not right for Rin.

"You know, you're seriously way unhelpful," Yuugo says to Yuuri, who was only lingering back, looking at the rings, but not saying anything.

"It's cute that you think I care," Yuuri answers back, twirling a lock of hair idly.

Yuugo makes a face. "Why'd you even come in the first place?" Yuugo demands. "Seriously, go home if all you're gonna do is hang in the back like some creep."

"No!" The attendant shouts suddenly, and for the second time today both of them stare at her, now more strangely. She coughs a bit, then says: "I mean it's always better to have a second opinion...just in case."

"Riiight," Yuugo stretches out. Before the conversation could progress any further, there's the unmistakable sound of music comes to theirs ears. Yuugo tilts his head, confused. "Is there some sort of event going on?"

The woman says something like _finally_ , heaving out a sigh, but the music kicks up a notch, making it difficult to even hear one another if any one them tried to speak. That part didn't quite matter, as a moment later, the doors to the store are blown open, the melodies louder and clearer to the ears.

A gust of wind sends petals into through the doorway of the store, letting them dance around in the air.

" _Damn,_ " Yuugo lets out, sounding somewhere between impressed and between breaking down in laughter. "You guys are freaking insane, do you know that?"

Yuuri doesn't answer him.

* * *

Yuuri recognizes that melody as soon as he hears it. Coupled with how odd that attendant had been acting like, he's knows it's not a coincidence. When the doors open, petals drifting inside, it confirms for him his thoughts.

It's definitely Serena, who had lied straight to his face when she told him she was doing testing for the newest technology. (it was a good lie, since she did that often, so he couldn't say she wasn't learning.)

Yuuri ignores the idiot laughing uproariously behind him, up until he places his hands on his own shoulders. "What are you doing." Yuuri says flatly.

"Wouldn't be any fun if you stayed in!" Yuugo says, pushing him towards the doors, even as Yuuri digged his heels (just because Serena had beaten him to it, didn't mean he was going to make it _easier_ for her.)

"Don't you dare–"

Yuugo shoves him outside of the door.

He was going to kill him.

Very, very soon, and as humiliating as possible.

But first..

The few dozen of petals that had flown into the store were nothing compared to the flurry of red rose petals in a storm that he had been met with as soon as he was outside. There's petals in his hair, petals that dust his shoulders like snow, and on every other surface they could possibly land on, and there's a heady, floral scent in the air.

The outside had been completely transformed compared to what had been there when they had entered the store, an impossibility that could only be brought on by a Solid Vision field, it had turned into a resplendent rosarium, but where Serena stood at a distance, the path ahead of her was unbridled. It was, also, far, far more crowded, people gathered watching with wide eyes.

His eye twitches. Even at a distance, a distance that Serena was cutting short, the enormous vibrantly colored flower bouquet couldn't be possibly missed. Yuuri can easily catch sight of nasturtiums, eucharis lilies, hyacinths, purple larkspurs, peaking out of palm leaves. Just from those flowers, Yuuri could practically feel Serena's smugness at beating him to the punch, and her mockery. He absolutely hated it.

This was not over, _by far_ , but for now being impressed at how excessively _over the top_ beyond extravagant the bouquet was. The uncountable amount of flowers aside, the decorations were definitely even more expensive, banded with freshwater pearls, the bouquet itself was embellished with swarovski, preciosa teardrop crystals, and Serena's amassed fortune from being a Pro duellist, doing all that technology testing, and whatnot, coupled with barely ever using it _really_ showed now.

There's a bit of a smirk on Serena's face, one that would only look earnest and serious to anyone else, but he knows _her,_ knows that she is being unbearably self-satisfied right now. She pushes the bouquet without fanfare into his hands, it's even heavy.

"I win," she says to him smugly, as she drops to a knee, her words not audible to anyone but him from the cheers of the crowds over what they thought to be an obviously romantic proposal.

"I hate you," he answers her as she pulls out what most definitely had to be flashiest ring she could find, a round brilliant big diamond in the center set in platinum, three steps of smaller round diamonds on an engraved band.

He'd get her back for this.

* * *

"What are you doing?" Serena states, sitting up more properly. She had only glanced over to him, but she recognized that look, that look that meant he was more than not up to no good.

"Hmm?" Yuuri answers her, not looking up from the screen that he was tapping away at, in a manner of typing out something, and not at all sounding like he had heard her. Serena narrows her eyes at that, because Yuuri wasn't the sort that usually got distracted so easily.

"Who are you talking to?" Serena asks, shifting and dropping her feet from over his legs to the floor.

He looks at her then, smiles in that way she knows she finds annoying, and says: "No one important."

Serena scowls at him. "You're planning something," she states, not bothering to phrase it as question because she had never gotten a straight answer from Yuuri and never would.

"What would I be planning?" Yuuri says, then waves his hand at her, the hand that had the engagement ring resting upon his finger, the diamonds on it reflecting light in a way that makes her blink hard for a moment. "Besides, you already went ahead and proposed so what is there for me to be planning for?"

That. That exactly was _why_ she knew he was up to no good, because he wouldn't take that loss so easily, even wearing the gaudy ring she had given him without fanfare, he definitely was up to no good (distantly, she recalls Yuzu lecturing her about how their relationship was _not_ supposed to be some deranged pissing contest, but, well, each to their own.)

Serena suddenly lunges to snatch the device he had been using, but Yuuri reacts fast, dangling it out of reach, over the arm couch, and she can't reach it, not without Yuuri fending her off with one arm, and she's not that close enough to grab it.

She glares at him.

"No need to be so aggressive~," Yuuri says to her, looking at her all wide-eyed and affronted.

"I'll show _you_ aggressive," Serena hisses at him, annoyed, then goes for it again, shoving his arm forcibly away, which works, except he grabs her arm, the one closer within reach to it, before she can reach for it.

"If it's no one important, then you can just show me, _righ_ t?" Serena reminds him of his previous words, but all he does is give a long shrug.

"Oh, but that's an invasion of privacy, wife-to-be!" Yuuri answers back, sing-song.

"There shouldn't be any secrets between a wife-to-be and husband-to-be," Serena snipes back, then realizes, that _hey,_ she is in prime position to be very distracting (she had pretty much draped herself over him). Yuuri wasn't stupid, but she could at least catch him off guard.

Before he can react, she grabs the collar of his shirt, and leans down to capture his lips in a kiss, and she can practically feel the surprise coming off of him. Her hand immediately goes for the device, but as she's about to curl her fingers around it, Yuuri's mind seems to have caught up, and he lets go of the device interlacing their hands together so she couldn't reach for it before it hit the ground.

Asshole. There's a meow that comes out of the blue, and Serena leans back, moving off him, a scowl on her face. When she looks at the source of the meowing, it's the cat that Serena had picked up recently, pawing at the side of the couch where Yuuri was sitting.

She still feels rather betrayed over the fact the cat preferred _Yuuri_ over her, even going as far as to hiss at her most times, even though Yuuri didn't even like cats, not the way she did.

Yuuri adjusts his collar, before picking up the cat from the floor, it purrs as soon as it's in Yuuri's arms (really, _really_?!), and Yuuri looks at her, poorly hidden amusement on his face, and she just knows she's going to hate what's about to come out of his mouth.

"Really, Serena, not in front of the kids, I know you're eager but–"

Serena punches him in the shoulder, unable to handle the false admonishing tone he had put on, or anything else.

"Oh, poor Misty, for you to have such a violent mother," he sighs forlornly, all fake, petting the aforementioned feline.

"Shut. Up."

* * *

A few weeks passes, Serena on her best guard, awaiting for Yuuri to pull out whatever horrible surprise he had lying in the wait for her, because he had to be with how suspicious he had been acting, but they pass peacefully (well as peacefully as it did normally), and then comes the day of an exhibition tournament slash entertainment thing, she wasn't really sure. She wouldn't normally be excited, but this was one that her friends had organized.

The one in Maiami was only one of the many that they had organized across pretty much the entire globe all by themselves, meant to be for charity but had managed to garner so much attention that it was broadcasted internationally. She herself was participating in this one, so were some of the rest that were in Maiami, definitely excluding Yuuri who wasn't exactly entertainment material for a crowd that had children in it.

Well. He could be if he put his mind to it, and prioritized entertaining the crowd over himself for once but getting Yuuri to actually to do that? Not likely.

"Serena, it's been so long!" Yuzu chirps warmly, throwing her arms around her. Serena can't help but return the hug, it really had been too long.

Yuzu steps back after squeezing her tightly that takes the breath out of her lungs. Yuzu smiles warmly at Serena, and links their arms together, stroding her over to audience seats that were rapidly filling up (her match wasn't today and neither was Yuzu's.)

"Where's Yuuri?" Yuzu asks, looking that way and this. "I want to see that ring in real life, I'm sure the pictures didn't do it justice."

"He's right.." She trails off at realizing Yuuri who had been next to her only moments ago had disappeared off.

"Where?" Yuzu tilts her head.

"He was right behind just now," Serena answers. Where had he gone off to?

"Oh, he's participating today, isn't he!" Yuzu exclaims. "He probably went to go get ready."

"Wait, what? He's _participating_?" Serena says.

"Yeah, didn't he tell you? One of the duellists said they weren't going to be able to make for the Maiami tournament, so Yuuya asked him to fill in," Yuzu answers. "Of course, he didn't agree originally, but he changed his mind so it all worked out. Although, I really hope he's going to tone down it, but Yuuya seemed pretty confident that Yuuri would, so."

What.

"Guessing from your face, he didn't tell you?" Yuzu says, then gives a shrug as they sit down. "It probably slipped his mind, you know how Yuuri is."

Serena knew Yuuri tended to not mention things if he didn't find them important enough, but she also had a very, very bad feeling.

Still, there was nothing she could, so Serena hopes she was only being paranoid, and puts it out of her mind for now. The two of them chatter, catching up, as the audience filled up more and more, and then before she knew it, it was time for the exhibition to begin.

A drumlike beat begins to play loudly, and the crowd quiets down, as the black screens scattered across the place lit up with pictures of Yuuya, announcing his entrance. From little tidbits Yuzu had told her before, she knew that Yuuya liked to start it off with speaking to the audience.

"Heeeey, Maiami, how are you all doing today?!" Yuuya asks cheerfully, the pictures of Yuuya on the screen replaced by live footage as he spoke into a microphone at the center of the area.

Dozens of answers come from the crowd, and Yuuya's smile grows wider as he says: "Good to know most of you are having a good day, well, for whoever isn't, I hope this little surprise cheers you up a little bit!"

"So, as a favor to a friend of mine, who wants to celebrate his anniversary with his fiancee, oh, but first I should say who she is, right? And if recent events are anything to go by for, you're all gonna know who she is!"

No. No way right? Today was..

Keeping track of occasions with a such a huge circle of friends was impossible, so there was a reason she had painstakingly entered every single one of them into the calendar on the duel disk, so that it would notify her. Of course, for any occasions that involved their relationship, she had set up about five or six reminders before the day itself to avoid any nasty surprises without setting up her own in return. She pulls it out, and taps the calendar open.

Yuuya snaps his fingers, and all the lights dim out, keeping the place in darkness for a moment, before all the spotlight falls off on her, her face appearing on the screen.

The crowds roar in response (most likely recalling the proposal from weeks back), but all Serena can do is stare at her empty, empty calendar, betrayed.

"Sereeena! You all remember that romantic proposal _right_? I wasn't even in Maiami but news reached. So, are we all okay with helping out Yuuri and letting this tournament be dedicated towards her?"

The crowds, always a sucker for romance, all scream their agreements. Serena ignores them, and notes there's one, one entry on her calendar, set to notify her in about an hour about something. She clicks on it.

There's nothing but a simple winky face, and Yuuri's name noted right under it. That, that–! He had messed with her own calendar!

"So, in honour of that first of all, all the duellists duelling today will be using the Lunalights deck! And that's only the start–"

She was going to kill Yuuri.

* * *

This idea seemed a lot more fun in my head than actually written, but oh well. Also, the bouquet probably looks like a wreck, but I didn't exactly have flower arrangement in mind, so just.. ignore that, here are the meanings:  
Nasturtium - conquest, victory in battle  
Hyacinth - playfulness, sporty attitude/playful joy  
Larkspur (purple) - haughtiness  
Palm Leaves - victory and success  
Lily (Eucharis) - maiden charms


End file.
